Powder filling and folding machine.



F. A. nomsm POWDER FILLING AND FULDINGHACHINE).

Patented :une i7, |902.

(Application led Apr. l, 1991.)

' No Model.)

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No. 702,59I. Patented lune I7, |902.

F. A. nomson.

POWDER FILLING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

' (Application led Apr. 1, 1901.) f H (No Modeh) '4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 702,59I.

(No Modql'.)

F.A. ROBINSON.

POwOIaR FILLING A NO FOLDING MACHINE.

(Application led Apr. 1,1901.)'

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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' No. 702,59l. v Patented Innen. |902.

y F. A. nomson.

PDWDEII FILLING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

(Applicatinn filed Apr. 1, 1901.) (No Model.) y 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

| l l' v l WJTNESSES: 'AZ-jig ,g/l O INVENTOR I -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ALEXANDER ROBINSON, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND lI/IESNE` ASSIGNMENTS, TO MORRIS LARY, OF-NEW YORK, N( Y.

POWDER FILLING ANDFOLDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,591, dated June 1'7, 1902.

Application filed April 1, 1901.

To all whom t may con/cern: Be it known that I, FRANK ALEXANDE ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at and Whose post-oiice address is No. 5 Orchard street, Auburn, in the county of Cayuga and State ofNeW York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Powder Filling and Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is toproduce a wrapping-machine especially designed for applying Wrappers to powders used for medicinal or other purposes, the powder being delivered by suitable feeding mechanism to a strip of paper which is acted upon by folding mechanism operating to fold the paper around the powdert and1 subsequently sever the wrapper into predetermined lengths and fold inward the ends of the wrapper in amanner similar to the method now employed by pharmacists. In connection with the machine I also employ means for regulating the feed of powder from the hopper to the wrap,- per, whereby a predetermined amount of powder may be fed to the wrapper as it is folded by the folding mechanism, the feeding mechanism beingintermittently actuated, whereby the feeding of the powderris intermittently cut off as the-Wrapping-paper continues its passage through the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide means operating automatically to crease the endfolds ofthe wrapper for the purpose of preventing the accidental opening of the end folds and thelescape of powdertheref rom.

Withthe above and other objects in view the invention consists in a wrapping-machine embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,.Figure lis a sectional elevation of a wrapping-machine constructedin'accordance with the p resent invention. Fig. 2'is a plan view of the sup-v ply-hopper. Fig. 3 is a transverse section throughthe machine. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section through the discharge-nozzle of the hopper, showing the eX- pansible spiral feeder. Fig. 5 is adetail lonserin 110.53.993. (No man.)

gitudinal section through the tubular shaft of the spiral feeder. y Fig. Gis across-section through the same. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the nuts forming part of the expanding mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail'cross-section through the for1ner,taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on line 9 9 of Figs. 3. Fig. 10 is a similar view taken on line 10 l0 of Fig. 3. Fig. Il is a plan view of the reel and its mechanism. Fig. 12 is a central vertical section through the same. Fig. 13 is a detail perspective'view of one of the end-folders,constituting also the breaker or wrapper-Severin g device. Fig. 14E is a detail View of one of the eXpansible gripping devices. Fig. l5 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 16 is atop plan View of the detached yrevolving folding table or reel, showing particularly the grippers and folders in their respective positions when one set of the grippers are about to engage the powder- Wrapper, the cam for operating the grippers being shown in full and the studs or pins for actuating the folders to cut and fold the wrapper or powder-package, one set of the folders being'shown in their position assumed just after cutting or severing a'section of theV Wrapper, said folders being in the act of folding the opp 'te ends of the detached powdercontainin scdvm upon itself. Figs. 17, 18, 19, and 2O are face views of the four sides of the revolublefplwding table or reel, showing the successive positions of the grippers and folders yas the revolving table advances from the position for receiving the wrapper to the position for discharging the completed powder containing package. Fig. 2l is a detailed sectional view showing a pair of grippers and the adjacent pair of folders in their positions just before severing the powdercontaining section of the Wrapper or just after the grippers have operated to draw the wrapper from the folding-tube.

4Similar numerals' of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawmgs. l

While the present invention is susceptible construction and means for accomplishing the desired results, the preferred embodiment `of considerable modificationin the details of IOO of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 designates a supply-hopper adapted to receive any desired quantity of powder or other material to be wrapped in packages. The said hopper is provided with a conical bottom 2, terminating in a cylindrical discharge-nozzle 3, the lower discharge end of which is flattened, as shown at 4., to provide a long and narrow discharge-orifice, the length of which is approximately equal to or slightly less than the width of the folded package.

Mounted rotatably within the nozzle 3 is an expansible spiral feeder, which comprises, essentially, a tubular shaft 5, encircled by a spiral web G, which is mounted so as to rotate with the shaft 5, but left free, so that it may be extended or stretched outward lengthwise by the means to be described. Within the tubular shaft 5 is an expander comprising a stem 7, provided with stepped portions 8 of different sizes and provided with threads of different pitch or threads of different numbers to the inch. On each of the stepped portions 8 of the stem 7 is mounted a nut 9, adapted to slide lengthwise within the tubular shaft 5, and the said nuts are provided with radial extensions 10, which project through and work within a spiral slot ll in the shaft 5, where they connect with the inner edge of the spiral web 6 at intervals. One end of the spiral web 6 may be connected directly to the tubular shaft 5. The shaft 5 is journaled in suitable bearings, one of such bearings being preferably in the form of a cross-bar 12 within the hopper, and in order to expand or stretch the spiral web the stem 7 is projected above the upper end of the shaft 5, where it is provided with a milled head 13, adapted to be turned by hand. When said head 13 is turned in one direction or the other, the nuts 9 are moved toward or away from each other, thereby moving the different turns of the spiral web nearer to or farther from each other and diminishing or increasing the distance between the turns, so that they will accommodate a larger or smaller quantity of powder.

Intermittent motion is imparted to the spiral feeder by means of an intermittent gear-wheel 11, fast upon the tubular shaft 5 and which is periodically engaged by a mutilated gear-wheel 15, mounted on a countershaft 16, geared, as shown at 17, to the main driving-shaft 18 of the machine, to which motion may be imparted by means of a motor-actuated belt 1f), engaging a pulley 20 on the drivingshaft, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Arranged beneath the hopper 1 is a former or chute 2l, which is preferably formed of sheet metal bent for a portion of its length in the form of a flat tube, the longitudinal edges of which are overlapped and recurved in involute form, as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, the upper portion of the former being left open and the initial edge thereof being rolled over into half-circular form and connected to and supported upon a bracketarm 22, extending laterally from a support or post 23, extending upward from the bed or base-plate 2i of the machine. Arranged adjacent to the upper portion of the former is a reel of paper 25, mounted upon a shaft 2G, detachably mounted in bearings in a supporting frame or bracket 27 of any suitable construction, the reel of paper being so arranged that the paper drawn therefrom passes over the initial end of the former, downward into and through the former, where the internally-arranged flanges 2S and 29 operate to overlap the edges of the paper strip and then bend or fold inward one side of the paper strip, the strip emerging from the discharge end of the former or paper-race in the shape of a folded paper tube corresponding with the shape of the ordinary Wrappers such as are ordinarily folded by hand by drnggists in dispensing medicinal powders.

The discharge end of the nozzle projects a short distance into the tubular portion of the former 2l to a point where the strip of paper has been partially folded into tubular shape, and by the intermittent operation of the forcefeed device hereinbefore described a predetermined amount of powder or other material from the hopper is deposited in the partially-folded paper tube, which continues its passage through the former, being continuously drawn and fed forward by a mechanism to be hereinafter described. The discharge end of the former is upheld by a suitable support 30, and the nozzle 3 of the hopper is also preferably supported by a bracket-arm 3l on the post 23 or in any other convenient manner. It may be stated at this point that I do not limit myself to any particular construction of frame or device for supporting IOO the various elements of this machine, as such j details may be readily changed or varied at the will of the manufacturer according to the size of the machine and other conditions.

Having thus described the mechanism for folding the strip of paper into a tubular wrapper and delivering the powder or other material by an intermittently-operated forcefeed device from the hopper to the interior of the folded paper tube, I will now proceed with a description of ,the devices for drawing or feeding the paper tube forward, severing the tube or wrapper into predetermined lengths, gripping the wrapper, folding the ends of the wrapper, and crimping such folded ends, and finally releasing or discharging the folded packages. In carrying out this part of the invention I employ a reel 32, which is mounted for rotation on a vertical axis. 'Ihe said reel by preference comprises upper and lower heads or frame-plates 33 and 34, respectively, which are rigidly connected by posts or cross-bars 35 and 35. The frame of the reel is mounted fast upon a :reel-shaft 3G, journaled in suitable bearings in the base-plate or bed 24 and having fast thereon a gear-wheel 37, which meshes with an- IIO other gear-wheel 38 on the main driving-shaft 18. Any suitable form of gearing may be employed for imparting motion from 'the driving-shaft to the reel-shaft and for giving to 'said reel-shaft a continuous rotary motion. vThe reel is substantially square in plan yory provided withfour sides of equal `length and height, the length of each side being substanf tially equal to the length of thepapertube or wrapper before the ends thereof are folded.v

`Thereel isv arranged with one of its side faces substantially in the plane of the discharge end of the wrapper-former or paper-race 21,

\ so that the portion of the paper tube orfwrapper having the powderfolded therein is autoi matically impinged between said face ofthe reel and suitable grippers carried thereby inthe manner illustrated in Fig.,1.

In order to securely clamp the wrapper containing the powder against the side of the reel, I provide at each side of the reel anexpansible gripping device, each gripping device consisting of a pair of grippers 39,

4mounted upon inclined journals 40, carried 'by the reel-frame, the said grippers beingprovided with inwardlyT extending arms '41, which operate in contact with a stationary cam 42, connected rigidly with the stationary bracket-arm 43 of a supportor post 44, connected for convenience to the base-plate or bed-piece 24, as illustrated in Figs. land 12. The arms 41 of the grippers 40 are substan- `tially at right angles to the bodies of the grippers, and as the reel rotates the arms 41;

travel against the cam 42 and are alternately lifted and lowered, thus rocking thegrippers 40 inward or outward, as illustrated in Figs.`

12, 16, and 17 to 21, inclusive, the said gripper when rocked inward serving to clamp the powder-wrapper and contents against oppositely-lying posts 35 of the reel'. to the rocking movement of the grippers they also have a sliding movement toward and away from each other upon the reversely-in- 'clined journals 40, thearrangement being such that when the grippers are rocked inward to clamp the wrapper they simultaneously slide endwise upon their inclined bearings away from each lother and their outer opposite edges are located at a much greater f distance apart than when thesaid grippers are rocked outward,.this movement ser'ving to Hatten the 'package with a sliding pressure and when reversely moved enabling the grippers to release the wrappers after the ends thereof have been folded over"` the grippers,`

as presently described.

Antfiriction-rollers 45y are mounted on the inner ends of the arms 41, the said rollers being intended to travelagainst the stationary cam and serve to actuat'e the grippers simultaneously and to permit their independent l sliding movement upon their respective bearino's. y

F'Ihe means'for folding'the ends of the powder-packages consists of a pair of plates 46 46' for each set of grippers, hinged at 47 within In addition the frame of thereel adjacent to` the'outer edges of the grippers 39. The hinge-pin or journals at the upperV ends of each pair of frameand connected by a yoke 48. The

'70; ,y e l folders 46 46 areextended above the reel- Y folders of each pair are held, bymeansofa y i spring 49, flatwise againstthe side of the reelframe, or rather againsty the outer upright posts 35', so as to enablethe wrapper to be laid atwiseacross the outer faces of the upright bars and folders preparatory to the action of the grippers. ,In order that both of 8o each pair of folders may be operatedfsimultaneously, the journals47l thereof are prof vided'with disks or rollersv50, -which are a connected by a iiexible band 51, having lits opposite ends secured in -any convenientf v mannerto the disks and wound in .reverse directions thereon. One of the end-folders,

as 46,*of each pair also has an operatingl head 52 fast upon its journal, the said head l' being shown for convenience as comprising fork-arms 53, which asl the reel rotates are 43, hereinabove referred to. The pins'54 are arranged in the path of the arms 53 andas'the ,y i y i e a jy reel rotates operate-to turn the head 52 and Y f' acted upon by one ormore pins or studs `54, connected to a plate, 55 on the bracket-arm` swing the end-folders connected Atherewith e inward, so as to sever and fold the ends of` the wrappers around the adjacent edges ofv the grippers and against the outer sides',` I y loo"- thereon By means of the connection'l the opposite end-folder, 46, is simultaneously swung, soasto 'fold the opposite ends of they wrapper outwardly toward each other.

free edge with outward andangularly-exthe paper tube orvwrapper into the requisite One. x of the end-folders, 46,-is provided along its y j tended teeth 56, which serve tobreak or sever v length, the said teeth being located'.immedi ately at the corner of the reel-frame.;V

In order to crimp the end foldsof the wrap v per, the folders 46 and 46 arevprovidedadjacent to their hinged edges with sharp-edged crimping projections 57, which as theffolders: are swung toward each other pass through l correspondingly-shaped vnotches 58 in theA outer edges of the grippers and arereceived iro` f -in correspondingly-shaped sockets or notches' f'- 59 in the adjacent posts 35 ofjthe reel. In.

this way crimps are formed in the folded ends of each wrapper, which crimps extend-in a direction lengthwise of the Wrapper and rna- 'j terially strengthenthe end folds for preventing'the same from accidental openingand permitting the escape, of powder as thewrapped powders are released in the outward-swing-j ing movement of the grippers and dropped into a suitable receptacle placed beneath; v

'From the foregoing description the opera-` tion of themachinewill be readilyund'erstood. The strip of paper coming-from the reel 25 passes through the tubular formerlor `paper-race 21, being drawn -or fedgforward `by the grippers on the` reel and folded intov j the formof a paper tube by means ofi the inf `per at this point.

ternal flanges within the former. Simultaneously the force powder-feed device is intermittently operated, soas to deliver a predetermined quantity of powder to the interior of the folded paper tube, the powder being laid within the tube for a distance approximately equal to the distance between the end folds of the completed wrapper. The paper tube or wrapper containing the powder passes from the discharge end of the former to the reel, against which it is clamped by the gripping device. f As the portion of the wrapper `thus gripped advances in the direction indicated by the arrows y the insidearrn 53 of the folder 46 engages the inner face of the first stud 54, which rocks the toothed folder 46' outwardly, thereby severing the wrap- The other arm 53 then engages the other stud 54, and thereby continues to rock the folders outwardly toward each other, thus folding the ends of the severed piece of wrapper or powder-containing package around the adjacent edges of the grippers. As the reel continues its rotation the arm 53 leaves the last stud 54 and the spring 49 retracts said folders to their normal positions. It is thus evident that means areprovided for simultaneously severing the wrapper at the corner of the reel and making each wrapper of a length corresponding with the length of each side of the reel.

Just after the return of the folders to the normal positions the grippers are automatically forced outwardly, preferably by the gravity of their inner roller-carrying ends or arms or by the cam 42, the grippers of each pair at the same time moving or sliding endwise toward each other upon their inclined bearings, which latter movement serves to release the powder-package and permits the same to fall therefrom. The cam is so arranged that as the reel-frame continues its rotation the grippers are elevated to their limit as they approach the outfeeding wrapper, and the operation just described is then repeated.

The severing operation does not take place until after the grippers at the succeeding side of the reel have been thrown into action for gripping a new portion of the paper tube or wrapper. As the end-folders are swung inward they fold the ends ofthe wrapper around the edges of the grippers and at the same time indent or crimp the folded ends of the wrapper for the purpose above described.

In the further movement of the reel the arms of the grippers are released, the grippers swing outward, and the package is thereby released and dropped into a suitable receptacle.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction illustrated and described, but reserve the right to change, modify, and vary the construction within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a hopper, and mechanism for feeding material from the hopper tothe wrapper comprising an expansible spiral feeder and means within the feeder spiral feeder for conveying the material from the hopper to the wrapper, and a single operating member having means actuated thereby for expanding the spiral feeder.

3. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper for the material to be wrapped, a feeder for the material comprising a spiral web, and rotary means engaged with the helices of the spiral web for expanding the same.

4. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper for the material to be wrapped, a discharge-nozzle therefor, an expansible spiral feeder for the material operable within the nozzle means for expanding and contracting the helices of the spiral, and a single member to operate said means.

5. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper, and an expansible feeder cornprising a tubular shaft, a spiral web, and a threaded stem operatively connected to portions of the spiral web.

6. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper, and an expansible feeder comprising a tubular shaft, a spiral web, a threaded stem, and a plurality of nuts attached to the spiral web at intervals and operatively associated with the threaded stem.

7. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper and an expansible feeder comprising a tubular shaft, a spiral web, and threaded stem having threads of different pitch and a plurality of nuts attached to the spiral webs at intervals and operatively associated with the threaded stem.

8. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, of a supply-hopper and anA expansible feeder comprising tubular shaft provided with a spiral slot; a threaded stern, and a plurality of nuts attached to the spiral web at intervals and operatively associated with the threaded stem and working in the spiral slot.

9. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism and means for feeding material to the wrapper, of a reel and independently-movable means carried by the reel for severing and folding the wrappers.

10. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, and means for feeding material to the wrapper, of a rcel having wrapper-grippers, a wrapper- ICO IIO

severing and end-folding devicesY carried by the reel, and means for intermittently actuating the gripping,'severing,1and folding devices. i v v 11. In a wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism, and` meansfor feeding material to the Wrapper, of a reel having Wrapper gripping, severing and end-foldingdevices carried` by the reel,V a stationary cam for operating the grippingdevices and independent means for operating the severing and end-folding devices.

12. In a Wrapping-machine,.-the combina-- tion with wrapper-folding mechanism, and

means for feeding material to the Wrapper,4

of a reel having oscillatory wrapper-grippers carried by the reel, pivotally-monnted endfolding devices on the reel, an operative connection between said end-folding devices and means for imparting movement to one of the end-folding devices.

13.- In a Wrapping-machine, the combination with VWrapper-folding mechanism,I and means for feeding material to the Wrapperyof a reel having oscillatory Wrapper-grippers carried by the reel, pivotally-mounted endfolding devices also on the reel, an operative connection between -sai'dfend-folding ydevices whereby one actuates` the other; means for actuating one of saiddevices anda releasedevice. v

springV connected with the other end-folding-` 14. In a Wrapping-machine, the combina. tionwith Awrapper-folding mechanism, .anda

means for. feeding material to thewrapper, of"

a reel-having Wrapper-grippingand end-fold. ing devices, and means for crimping theend folds' of the Wrapper. v f 1 4 15. 1n a Wrapping-machine, the combination with wrapper-folding mechanism,;and

means for feeding material tothe Wrapper, Aof.

a Vrcel 4having Wrapper -gripping and endfolding devices having means for forming crimps across theend folds of the Wrapper. In testimony whereof-I afx my signature n in presence of two'wtnesses.

. Y FRANK ALEXANDER ROBINSON Witnesses:

GEO. E. FRECH, B. FUNK. 

